JM Rowland
5, Tichborne Street,
Leicester.
The Great Little Man
To Castle End Mission – 26/4/42
Luke 19 vs 1 to 10
I want to tell you first of all about a very nasty sort of man.
In the Bible, he is called a publican.
He’s got nothing to do with public houses, but he used to collect taxes.
He used to do it as unfairly as possible, get as much out of the people as he could, so that he could pay the right taxes to the Romans and still have a lot of money over for himself.
You can imagine how the people hated the publicans and they hated the chief publican worst of all.
It’s about one of these chief publicans that I want to talk to this morning.
His name was Zacchaeus.
He was only a small man, but everyone disliked him!
He lived at a place called Jericho.
The sun is blazing down but we will take shelter under this big tree.
In the distance I can hear the noise of a crowd, which seems to be approaching.
Suddenly a small figure comes running down the street.
Well, it’s that nasty Zacchaeus!
Of all the strange things to do, he’s climbing this tree!
But we can’t bother with him, for here comes the crowd.
Perhaps you’ve guessed round who they’re crowding – yes, it’s Jesus of Nazareth.
We shan’t be able to see much, but we can perhaps hear a little.
What a strange thing! Jesus has stopped.
He’s seen Zacchaeus and is talking to him.
He says “Come down quickly Zacchaeus, I want to stay at your house today.”
Fancy the good, gentle Jesus wanting to stay with that nasty little tax gatherer!
The crowd thinks that too by the way it is murmuring.
But it’s true enough, for little Zacchaeus has climbed down and gone off with Jesus to his home.
Somehow, he seems different.
His smile is no longer crafty, but joyful.
His eyes are full of happiness instead of greed.
He doesn’t look a bit like the rotten little extortionist he used to be.
Let’s follow them and peep in through the window of Zacchaeus’s house.
They’re having a meal and Zacchaeus has just got up to say something.
Let’s listen:
“Here and now, Master, I give half of my property to the poor, and if I have unjustly exacted money from any man, I pledge myself to repay to him 4 times the amount.”
How Zacchaeus has changed now he knows Jesus.
Zacchaeus was small, like some of us, but he was very sinful.
And yet, Jesus made friends with him.
Have you asked Jesus home, home to your heart?
Will you ask Him?
Those of you that have asked him, has it made any difference to your life, like it did to Zacchaeus?
You see, Zacchaeus knew that it was wrong to extort money from people and so he gave it up straight away.
I’m quite sure all the taxpayers knew that Zacchaeus was a Christian now, because of the way his life was changed.
I wonder does your mother and father know that you’re a Christian because your life is changed, or do you go on doing those old things which you know you ought not to?
You know it’s wrong to lie – have you given up lying?
It’s wrong to steal – do you ever take anything that’s not your own?
It’s wrong to lose your temper – do you ever lose your temper?
It’s wrong to disobey your mother and father – do you always do what they tell you?
I should love it if your mother could say “Well I know something must have happened to Johnny or Mary at Castle End because he or she are so different at home now.”
Zacchaeus was not very big – like you – but he was very sinful – like you and me.
He came to Jesus – like you? – and his was life changed – like yours.